The Rise of the Protesters in the Land of the Rising Sun!

Recently in Japan, there have number of large protests and demonstrations against the government.  There were smaller protests in Japanese cities and in front of the Prime Minister Abe's office.  There were around 120,000 people protesting against the Japanese Diet.  What were these people protesting?  They were protesting the proposed changes to Article 9.  The government for a number of years had been trying to circumvent the Japanese government in order to change the wording of Article 9.  The government knows that formally amending the Japanese constitution in order to remove Article 9 would be impossible.  There are many people who see Article 9 as an instrument of peace.  They want to show the world that Japan is a peaceful country.  However, the conservative right wing of the Japanese government sees it different.  The LPD and its leader Shinzo Abe see Article 9 as a weakness because Japan would be unable to defend itself from attack.  There are growing tensions with the Chinese, North Korean, and South Korean government.  These tensions have been growing for many years.   So now, the LDP is trying to reinterpret the constitution.  There have been countless numbers of protests against the government.  For many years, the government had ignored these protests.  However, can the government really ignore the screams and chants of 120,000 protestors outside the Diet Building and countless numbers across Japan?  We have to wait and see.

Many people are surprised by these protests.  Japan is not really known for holding protests and even talking about political issues on a grand level.  However, that is not entirely true.  Japan has a long history of protesting and demonstrating.  Most of these demonstrations are not mentioned in the international media.  The local media on occasion will show these demonstrations.  I have been to countless number of demonstrations in Japan.  There is a yearly anti-poverty demonstration.  People are asking for a livable wage and a higher standard of living.  There are demonstrations against having American military bases in Okinawa.  After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, there were anti-nuclear protests.  Those protests are still happening because the government is considering re-opening shut down nuclear power plants.   Political activism and discussing political discourse is not common to see in Japan.  Japanese people tend to shun away from discussing politics.  However with Article 9, the masses are showing that they have a voice and they know how to use. 

It is great to see Japanese people voicing their frustrations against the government.  They want Japan to be a peaceful and prosperous government.  They want the government to help the people by helping to grow the economy and improve the standard of life.  There are number of social issues that the government has to address. 

However, there is a problem brewing.  Labor unions and leftist community groups have a tradition have a tradition of holding protests and demonstrations to voice their views.  They try to encourage others to go their rallies and support their cause.  They pass out fliers outlining the main issues.  When people eventually go the demonstrations and read about the issues, they get filled with a lot of activist energy.  However, they do not know how to expend this energy into a useful cause.  The leaflets that are traditionally distributed at rallies and protests have a plethora of overwhelming information to the casual reader, but there is a problem with the leaflet.  Majority of the leaflets do not contain information on how to go forward with the changes.  There are no calls for telling people to write to their government officials.  There are no writing campaigns.  That I believe is a major obstacle in going forward with political activism.

The other major problem with a lot of protests and demonstrations in Japan is that there is no clear leader or leaders leading the charge.  At your typically demonstration, there are a number of labor unions, community groups, and concerned individuals speaking out.  There is a massive clutter of noise.  In order for these demonstrations and protests to have their staying power, there must a leader or leaders who will take the concerns of the groups involved and speak on their behalf.  There needs to be a hierarchy of leadership.   

If we look at the successful social movements around the world, there is one thing in common.  There is a visible hierarchy.  Some of the most famous leaders are Caesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, and Susan B. Anthony had one thing in common.  They were the main spokesperson for their particular movement.  They had the charisma to lead their followers and convince others to join their cause.  When you start looking at Japanese protests and demonstrations, there are hardly any leaders who are taking the loudspeaker and leading their movements with passion and charisma.  I think for these demonstrations to have an effect on the government there needs to be a leader.  There needs someone from the crowd of protestors to take that extra step and lead.  I think that how you show the government that you care about the issue at hand.  There has to be dialogue with the people in government.  The government cannot ignore the will of people any longer.  The Japanese people need to show their government that they are concerned with policies that they are putting in place.  The people have to show that the government works for the people and not the other way around.  The government has to support its people.  This is how you build a strong country.